Snow fence



y .1933- G. L. BARRUS ,9

- SNOW FENCE Filed July 16 1932 INVENTOR, 'aalya l 172272225 ATTORNEY.

-l 7 z 5 Q5 Z5 3 [a Patented May 2,

i 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEOQGE L. BABRUS, F GOSI-IEN, MASSACHUSETTS snow FENCE Application filed Jul 1e,

It is one of, the objects of the inventionto provide a brace which will hold the fence against forces tending to push it 1n a longitudinal direction. V 7.

It is" also an object of the invention to provide a brace'of the character described which maybe readily assembled in place with the support with which it is adapted- .to be used and which may be quickly and easily disassembled when the fence is taken down.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a simple,,strong and readily fabricated brace which may, be easily packed with the supportsin a minimum space for transportation and-storage.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will, readily appear to those skill vved in the art to which-it appertains by a,

consideration of the following 7 description of one embodimentthereof taken in con:

nection with the accompanying drawing in which p I Fig. 1-.is a perspective view of;a complete fence. showing fence supports, braces and boards; r I Fig. 2 is anenlarged perspective viewof the upper portion of one of the supports with a brace in position;

.Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the upperportion of one of the supports with a brace in position;--and. v 7

Fig.4 is a side view of one ofthe braces.

Referringto thedrawing more in detail a plurality of fence supports indicatedgenerally by. the reference character. 10 sustain 'a plurality of horizontally disposed boards 11. Each support comprises-a pair of mem bears 12 and 13 hingedlyconnected together at their upper ends as indicated at 14. The Qlower ends of the members 12 and 13 are 1932. Serial No. 622,851.

preferably trimmed to provide each member with a pointed end 15 so that; the support maybe more readily driven into the ground. Each of the members 12and 13 openings 16 for the reception of the boards 11. The lower portion of each of these openings 16 is preferably tapering or wedgeshaped as indicated at17 so that the weight of the boards, will hold them firmly in place.

It is intended that the length of the boards shall be a littlegreater than the, distance is provided with aplurality of rectangular 5 between supports and at each supportthere will be two boards extending in opposite directions from the support'and positioned side by side in the same opening. The width of the opening at its upper portion shouldbe somewhat greater than thethickness of two boards and the width of the openingatthe lower part of the wedge-shaped portion 17- of the opening should be somewhat lessthan two boards. It will be noted that the boards are shown in Fig.1 as being all positioned intheholes on the same side of the support instead of in the openings on alternate sides" of the supports as shown in the hereinbefore mentioned Patent No; 1,773,128. 7 I Atthe lower end of each of the members 12' and 13 is shown anopening 22. This opening is provided so that, an anchoring stake. 23 may be driven therethrough and" into the ground in order to hold the support more. firmly; in position. .It will benoted that the cross-section ofithe' members 12 r and 13 is Z;shaped-, as more fully described" .in my former patent, which permitszthe .members to fold together readily for purposes of transportation andstorage andat the sametime provides greatv strength and rigidity. Z

I preferably the upper end of each support Whichfmay be circular inform. As shown in my former patent this aperture may. be a part of the provide anlaperture 1d at 7 hinge structure-fora more detailed descrip tion of which reference is made tothe aforesaid patent. V

The brace comprises a member 25 which is preferably constructed of the same Z -shaped material as the members l2 and13 and is -adapted -to rest against the lower outside vided a simple, rugged, and inexpensivenotched near the end as indicatedat26 to provide a shoulder 27 whichisadapted to rest against the upper inside of the aperture 18 when the brace is in the inclined or bracing position an shown in Fig. 3. The lower edge of the member 25 is also notched as indicated at 28 to provide a shoulder 29 -.0'f'- the aperture18'as clearly shown'in Fig. 3. In order to prevent the lower flange of the member 12 from striking the brace in the inclined position, there also may be provided notch '30 on the lower edge-of the'member25. The lower end of the member 25 may ibe pointed as indicated at 15am and is preferably provided with an-opening 22a for an anchoring stake 23a.

:In assembling the fence the supports '10 and boards 11 are put in place and then with a brace 25 held in a .substantially horizontal positionthe-upper end is inserted the aperture 18 of one of the supports and the opposite. end lowered until it rests against or 'isdriven into the ground. The anchoring stake 28a is then driven through the opening 22a and'assists in holding the brace in position. It jvillbe noted that the shoulder 27 prevents-the brace from moving outward-1y from the aperture '18 and the shoulder-29 prevents the :brace from moving 7 4C; inwardly ith pect to the aperture 18.

Or stated corwersely the brace being firmly held in the hinge aperture, the upper end of the brace holds the hinge part o f-the sup-- port 10 from movement longitudinally of the fence as a whole in either direction.

number of braces recommended being from '10 to 16 per 100 supports depending'upon the height of the fence.

It will be seen that there has been probrace which is alsoeasy toinstall and re- Being of the same CIOSS-SGCtlQIlELl various changes maybe made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims. "I claim:

1'. In a snow fence,-a fence support havorfibraclngposition.

It is not necessary that a brace be employed for every support as-shown in Fig. '1, the

ginasubstantially horizontal position and to lock itself in said aperture against moveunent either inward or outward when said brace is in its inclined or bracing position.

3. in asnow -fence, a ifencesupportihaving an aperture near. :the .upper end thereof,

;and a -brace for said support, the .upper lend of said' braceihaving a s'mallerove-rall. dimension than .said aperture when said ab-race is in a substantially horizontal :position, ;and means associated with said brace :for -.p-r.eventingwithdrawal of said ;br.ace .=f-rom said aperture when said brace .is in an inclined 4. In a snow :fence, iaefencesupport :hav- .ing an aperture .near ithenpper .end thereof, and a brace for said support, itheil-pper 'endof-saichbrace having a smaller overall dimension 'than said aperture when .said

' brace is in a substantially :horizontal .position, and shoulders-on vthe endxof saidbrace adapted to restagainstithe.upper inside and lower outside of said aperture when said brace is in an inclined or bracing position.

5. :In asnow fence havinga fencesupport with a round aperturei-n' the iupper end thereof, a brace comprising a single-integral piece formed of sheet metal, the upper-end ofsaid piece beingreduced in sizeito pass through said aperture when said Zbrace is in a substantially horizontal position and 'having a notch cut insaid reduced end to provide a shoulder to prevent withdrawal of said brace when in an inclined or bracing 6. In asnow fence having a fence support with a round apertu-re 'jin the upper end thereof, a brace havingafiat portion at' the upper end thereof reduced in size-t ilbass through saidaperture when said brace -is in a substantially hor1zontal pos1tion, .said reduced end portion having a-notc'h cutinits upper edge toprovidea shoulder to prevent withdrawal of said brace when the other end thereof is loweredinto j bracing position.

7. In a snow fence having a fence support withajround aperture-in the upper end thereof, a brace ha-X ing a--flat portion at the thereof is lowered into bracing position, said reduced end portion also having a notch cut in its lower edge to provide a shoulder to limit the inward movement of said brace into said aperture when the other end of said brace is lowered into bracing position.

8. A brace for a snow fence support comprising a web, two oppositely extending flanges giving the brace a Z-shaped crosssection, an end portion having the flanges removed and the web reduced in width, a shoulder formed on the upper edge of said end portion adapted to prevent movement ture. V

GEORGE L. BARRUS. 

